Café Gilou Brings Brittany to the Beach

Do you know what a galette is?

It’s okay if you don’t. I didn’t until I stumbled upon Gilles Sarazin at the Owen Sound Farmers’ Market. I had been ordering Pupusa’s from the couple one stall over for weeks and decided to give another unfamiliar breakfast item a try.

Behind a French accent and crepe machine, stood a man who was about to turn my breakfast world upside down.

I was so impressed by his galette, I brought one home to my wife, who agreed that this was the real deal: authentic French food right here in our small town. We soon became regulars of Café Gilou and our Saturday mornings were très bien

“The farmers’ market became a great foundation to get into the community and meet people and talk about the traditional ways we consume [galettes],” says Gilles, who was born in the Brittany region of France.

He soon built a following at several local markets and decided to give us galette-lovers an option through the week with a physical café in Owen Sound.

“The cafe came about as we were consistently asked if we had a location that they could visit during the week,” says Gilles. “We decided to expand and create a cafe that offered our galettes as well as freshly baked pastries and take-home meal size options.”

I would often score major points with early morning croissant runs during my wife’s pregnancy and thanked the culinary gods we had access to them Monday to Friday. And soon, the culinary gods would smile upon Gilles and his partner Melissa in the form of a golden opportunity.

“It has always been a part of the plan to own a business on the beach, and we became very excited by the prospect of joining the community and the beautiful location that is Sauble,” says Gilles about moving into the Sands Hotel in Sauble, just steps from Saugeen Beach.

With a French 75 in one hand and mussels marinière in the other, I realize Gilles has a lot more to offer than just a delicious breakfast menu. In fact, he’s about to serve six courses from his full dinner menu here at Café Gilou.

The ethos of Gilles’ culinary approach began with his upbringing in Brittany where he loved helping his mom put together meals for the family.

“I grew up with parents who would cook from scratch and seasonally,” he says. “Weekends were spent around the table, beginning with an aperitif, drinks, and snacks before the main meal. As a family, we would sit and enjoy the company, the weather and the food.”

But it was his and Melissa’s globetrotting years that really shaped his culinary philosophy. The two had met at a catering company in UK while chopping vegetables across from each other.

“Our love for discovering new people, places, and foods, started a lifelong journey living in other countries…our travels took us backpacking across Africa, Europe, Malaysia, Hawaii, and Australia. Each journey opened our eyes to different ways of cooking, the use of local ingredients and delicacies,” he says.

A love of travel and cooking have guided both Gilles and Melissa throughout their life, but it’s arguably been family that’s influenced them the most. It was Gilles’ family that initially sparked a love for cooking, and it was Melissa’s family that brought them to the area. They left Nova Scotia to move closer to grandparents, a move that made sense with two young daughters. Gilles took a job as a Dining Services Manager in Owen Sound, but eventually returned to his culinary roots.

What began with galettes at the market has led to a full menu restaurant year-round in Sauble with not one, but two patios.

“I wanted to get back to the simple, relaxed dishes and tastes that come from deep respect for the ingredients and how they are prepared and consumed,” says Gilles as he looks out from his rooftop patio overlooking Lake Huron and the sprawling beachline. It is certainly one of the best views in the region.

Both the food and the atmosphere are relaxed during our visit to Café Gilou. I sip a dangerously delicious cocktail while sampling a series of appetizers prepared with thoughtful tradition and modern flare. Gilles, Melissa, and their daughters welcome us with smiles and an impressive menu that has been thoughtfully prepared for Sauble in the summer.

The Carpaccio de Zucchini is dressed with olive oil lemon dressing, lemon zest, chives, Fleur de Sel, pink peppercorns, goat cheese, and arugula sprouts. I can imagine this dish being very popular on a hot summer day.

The Sauteed Shrimp with Virgin Sauce is topped with diced tomato infused with olive oil, fresh herbs, and shallots while the Mussels Marinière are steamed with shallots, garlic, parsley, white wine and cream. Both spoon and bread come in handy to make sure I collect every drop. Next, the scallops arrive, cooked perfectly with a lemon butter sauce and fingerling potatoes.

The first main is where “Lake Erie meets South of France” according to Gilles as he places pan-fried pickerel over a ratatouille sauce. He sets a glass of crisp white Rhone beside it, which has a peach and apple palate that pairs well with the pickerel. The grass-fed sirloin steak is our final course and comes seasoned with herbs de Provence and topped with Maitre D’hotel butter. Cooked to a perfect medium rare, it is certainly going to be a favourite for Bruce County beef lovers.

The final touch is a dessert created by Escoffier in 1864, a Pear Belle Helene with vanilla ice cream, poach pear, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and toasted almonds. An excellent completion to this summer culinary experience and one that will be irresistible on the patio, whichever one you choose to sit on.

“We will be bringing a steak and seafood menu that will rival the amazing sunsets Sauble offers every night,” he says of the rooftop patio experience, which begins after 4pm.

It was a love for travel that took them across the world, family that brought them to Owen Sound, and opportunity that has led them to Sauble Beach.